For safety purposes, it has been generally accepted and mandated by law in some jurisdictions that the closures and containers for medicines and chemicals be constructed to resist opening by children. In one type of child resistant package that is commonly used, the package comprises three components, namely, a closure, liner and container or vial. Such types are usually manipulated by an axial and rotating motion. It has also heretofore been suggested that child resistant packages be provided that are based upon a radial compression and rotation of the closure relative to the container.
Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a child resistant package that requires only a closure and container; which can be manipulated readily by disabled or elderly persons yet will function effectively to be child resistant.
In accordance with the invention, the child resistant package comprising a container and a closure. The container has an open end, a thread on the inner surface of the open end, diametrically opposed lugs on the outer surface of the open end having a radially extending surface. The closure has a top wall, a peripheral skirt and an annular wall spaced radially inwardly from the peripheral skirt, having an external thread on the outer surface thereof interengaging the thread on the inner surface of the upper end of the closure. The closure assumes a closed, safety position in which an annular sufrace on the closure engages an annular complementary surface on the container finish, to thereby seal the package. The skirt has radially engageable lugs extending radially inwardly from the skirt. The skirt is flexible such that the closure can be engaged with the container by interengagement of the threads and rotation of the closure in one direction unitl the lugs on the skirt engage the lugs on the container in the safety position, and the closure may be removed from that position by radially compressing portions of the closure skirt at about 90.degree. between the lugs on the closure to disengage the lugs on the closure from the lugs on the container such that the closure can be removed by rotation relative to the container in the opposite direction. In the package there is provided a seal of the closure on the finish across inwardly chamfered, annular seal surfaces that correspond.